Best Vegan Brownies
You don’t want just any brownie recipe. You want the best vegan brownies recipe ever, complete with a rich, fudgy center. That’s why you’ll love this rich and fudgy vegan brownie recipe!
Serve these brownies with some No-Churn Vegan Ice Cream on top and some drizzled chocolate syrup.
You know vegan is all peanut butter granola, nuts, and veggies. right? But did you know it can also be gooey brownies too? It is! In fact, I make these vegan brownies all the time!
I’m on a mission to show that a vegan diet can have it all, including indulgently delicious foods like easy vegan brownies.
I started with my mom’s brownie recipe and transformed that over the years into the best vegan brownies, complete with a shiny crust on top.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Melting chocolate into the batter creates rich, dense, chocolate-infused brownies
- Applesauce adds next-level chewiness and moistness in every bite
- Coconut oil combined with vegan butter makes these the undeniably best brownies ever!
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Dairy-free chocolate chips — The dark chocolate from Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips makes these brownies rich and indulgent. Some are melted into the batter, and the rest is added to create pockets of melted sweet chocolate throughout.
- Vegan butter — You can use Earth Balance, Miyokos, or make homemade vegan butter, all of which add a rich, buttery flavor.
- Coconut oil — There’s enough cocoa flavoring that you can use virgin coconut oil (more coconut flavor), but refined coconut oil (less coconut flavor) works well too. Either way, these brownies won’t taste like coconut.
- Sugar — You can use granulated white sugar or coconut sugar to make it just the right amount of sweetness.
- Applesauce — We’re adding applesauce to make these brownies extra moist.
- Ground flaxseed
- Cornstarch
- Plant-based milk — Use your favorite plant-based milk, like soy, almond, cashew, etc.
- Vanilla extract
- Flour — You can use all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour. To make gluten-free vegan brownies, use high-quality gluten-free baking flour.
- Cocoa powder — To make them extra chocolatey, this recipe includes natural cocoa powder (the kind you find in the baking section of your grocery store).
- Salt
How to Make Vegan Brownies
If you’re used to using lots of eggs and dairy butter with your brownies, the ingredients in today’s recipe will seem a little different. Where’s the eggs? Where’s the milk? Don’t worry, these brownies are fabulous without them!
Here’s a synopsis of the steps involved:
- Stir together melted chocolate chips, vegan butter, and coconut oil until melted.
- Mix in the sugar, applesauce, milk, water, cornstarch, ground flaxseed, and vanilla.
- Stir together the dry ingredients.
- Make the batter by stirring together the flour mixture with the chocolate mixture and remaining chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Cool brownies completely before slicing.
Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions.
Step One: Melt Chocolate
First melt the chocolate chips with vegan butter and coconut oil in a microwave. Stir it all together.
Step Two: Add Remaining Wet Ingredients
Add the applesauce, sugar, flaxseed, cornstarch, plant-based milk, vanilla, and water. Stir these all together and then set them aside.
Step Three: Combine Dry Ingredients
Next, stir together the dry ingredients, including flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
Step Four: Making Brownie Batter
Stir together the dry ingredients with the chocolate mixture. Then, add the remaining chocolate chips and give it all one last stir.
Step Five: Pour and Bake
Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake it for 40 to 45 minutes.
Quick Fix Tip
This recipe makes a generous serving of simple vegan brownies. You can reduce it by half and bake it in a square baking pan if you prefer a smaller batch.
For frosted vegan brownies spread Vegan Chocolate Frosting on top.
Storage Tips
To store brownies, allow the pan to cool. You can cover the pan or transfer cut brownies to an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. They can be refrigerated for up to 7 days or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw frozen brownies, set them in the fridge overnight or on a counter at room temperature for several hours.
Marly’s Tips
- You can use all vegan butter or all coconut oil.
- Cut brownies without tearing them by letting them cool completely (or even refrigerating them first) to let them set. You can also keep a glass of hot water nearby and dip the knife in the water between slices.
- Make your brownies gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free baking flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
- Classic brownies do not require leavening (such as baking soda) because they’re dense and fudgy. Adding baking soda would make the brownies more cake-like.
More Vegan Chocolate Brownies
Here’s even more delicious brownies to try:
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Best Vegan Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups dairy-free chocolate chips , divided
- ½ cup vegan butter , cut into cubes
- ½ cup extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine ¾ cup chocolate chips, vegan butter, and coconut oil. Cook for 1 minute. Set aside until the chips have melted. Stir to combine.
- Add the sugar and give it a good stir. Then add the applesauce, milk, water, cornstarch, ground flaxseed, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the chocolate ingredients along with the remaining chocolate chips. Stir until just combined (with no more big clumps of flour). Do not over-mix.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. For more gooey brownies, remove them from the oven at 40 minutes. Otherwise, cook for 45 minutes.
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing.
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
The vegan brownies look irresistible. I definitely see myself making a batch in the very near future. 🙂
Yeah! Let me know how it goes! Once you have an easy vegan brownie recipe that you love, there’s no going back! 🙂
These look beautiful and delicious! Brownies are my favorite.
I know what you mean, I hate to be a pushy vegan, but whenever my friends eat something I bake and their eyes get all big when I tell them it’s vegan, I just want to say “See? Who needs the animal products!” Vegan and proud!
Yes, Ruby! I swear I think most people I meet believe vegans subsist on an assortment of nuts, twigs, and maybe chopped carrots. I always think, wait ’til they see the great vegan food we eat!
These look amazing and I can’t wait to make them!! Do you think it will make a difference if I make them with almond milk, instead of soy?
Hi Candy Rae. Love your name!
You know what? I’ve never had a problem subbing almond milk for soy. I say go for it! And then let me know.
These vegan brownies look so good.
Thanks, Kate!
There is a tidal wave of consciousness sweeping across the land. Here are two uplifting videos to help everyone understand why the number of vegans has doubled in less than 3 years and why so many are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE and http://www.veganvideo.org
Marly, these look incredibly yummy!!
Thanks, Jen!
I made these today and they are insanely awesome! They are not just the best vegan brownies, they are the best of any brownie! They are very rich and fudgy. Will be serving these to a bunch of non-vegans and I know they will love them.
Ah, thanks so much! So glad you loved the vegan chocolate brownies! Rich and fudgy brownies are the best!
Made these vegan brownies yesterday…OMG the best Brownie ever! And I used almond milk.
I’m so glad you loved these vegan brownies! I agree with you – they are the best!
I am not vegan but I try to eat as healthy as possible. Do you think these would work if I use organic buttermilk from grass-fed cows and butter instead of margarine? Margarine is SO BAD for you!! Do you know (I’m assuming you don’t) that it’s only one molecule away from being plastic? There’s no way your body can process that. I also try to stay away from soy as much as possible. 🙂
Hi Suzette. Thanks for your comment! I don’t eat butter or buttermilk made from cows (or other animals) because of the way animals are treated on factor farms, but also because those products have cholesterol. The thing about vegan products it that there is no cholesterol involved. That’s great! However, I agree that it’s always important to be concerned about what we’re eating. I recommend the use of margarine but in moderation. And I’m picky about what margarine I use. If you wanted to use something besides margarine, I would recommend coconut oil. Earth Balance even makes a coconut spread that is perfect for brownies or baked goods. I sometimes will do half margarine and half peanut butter too. You can also use vegetable oil in place of the margarine. Thanks again for your comment. Best wishes!
Marly
The vegan brownies look delicous. But I do have a question. I thought chocolate chips were made with milk. How is that vegan if they are? Thanks
Hi Cheryl. Not ALL chocolate chips have dairy in them. For example, Baker’s has some chocolate chips that are dairy free. There are also several brands that offer dairy-free chocolate chips in health food stores.
Your brownies look amazing!!!!! I was wondering if you have ever made them with a different kind of flour. My son has a wheat allergy. Just thought I would ask in case someone else has had experience with other flours…. rice or spelt or other?
You can make these into gluten free vegan brownies by substituting gluten free baking flour for the all purpose flour!
My friend and I made these vegan brownies the other night. These have to be the best brownies, ever– vegan or not! Even my friend and grandmother, who are not vegan, loved them! Instead of soy milk, though, we used plain almond milk and forwent the vinegar. We also left off the frosting. I honestly think the frosting might have been too much, because these brownies are super moist and rich! I’m definitely going to be making these for our summer family picnics, and cannot wait to see the surprised looks on peoples’ faces when I tell them “they’re vegan!”. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Thanks Jeanne! And I love all the little changes you made to this vegan brownie recipe. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something over the top sweet. Did I just say “sometimes?” OK. Well, I’m always in the mood for that, but other times I find a way to hold back and enjoy life without a little frosting. I’m glad you like it that way too!
Okay, this may sound silly….but doesn’t margarine have milk product in it? To be sure, I looked at the ingredients in the margarine at the store tonight when I was buying the stuff to make these brownies. It specifically says milk on the label. Is there a certain brand that doesn’t? Do they make any from soy or almond milk? Help! I went vegan last spring and couldn’t be happier! Also, on a side note, does anyone have a favorite egg substitute they use in baking? I always do the flaxseed meal egg-but in my muffins today, it dominated the taste. I bought a new bag of flaxseed incase it had (for some reason) gone ad early. I keep it in the fridge?
This is not a silly question at all. There is vegan margarine out there. If you look at the salt-free Fleischman’s, it appears to be dairy-free…and reasonably priced. I believe Blue Bonnet lite is also dairy-free, but I do not prefer baking with it because it doesn’t provide the right kind of texture in baked goods. There is also Earth Balance which has both margarine and vegetable shortening that is vegan. From time-to-time we have found certain store brands will be “accidentally” dairy-free as well. It takes looking at the carton.
Flax seed is my go-to favorite egg replacer because in addition to providing some bonding action, it adds Omega 3s as well. We keep our ground flax seed in the freezer…even though we go through it relatively fast! You only need about 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed combined with about 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. I wouldn’t think that would have much of an influence on the taste of your muffins, but you could always try adding additional flavoring like cinnamon, orange zest, etc. Alternatively you can use 1/4 cup of whipped tofu or even a mashed banana to serve as a good egg replacer.
I hope that’s helpful. Congrats on your vegan journey! Marly
So I did this vegan brownie recipe completely vegan…and it turned out GREAT! Everyone loved it(and I am the only one who is vegan, ha!) It also was gluten free, which is a pretty cool bonus. I used almond milk instead of soy, and used 1 cup of soy flour and 1/2 cup whole grain(GF) flour. This worked out perfectly to replace the white all purpose flour, plus it added protein and nutrients! Thanks for the recipe, I took it to our bible study group, and only told them it was vegan AFTER they ate it! No complaints, only compliments =)
I’m so glad to hear you and your friends loved this vegan brownies recipe! Also, I love how you adapted it, including transforming them into vegan gluten free brownies too!
These vegan brownies are very good but very rich and a bit too sweet for me.
I think sweetness in a vegan brownie is the most variable ingredient. I recommend trying them again and reducing the sugar by at least a quarter. You could also try using something like coconut sugar or Swerve to reduce the sugar load.
Do you have to put soy buttermilk and soy milk together or can you just put soy milk in? I don’t know where to find soybuttermilk.
I just use soy milk and add 1 or 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. Works like a charm!
I love the V banners on these vegan brownies! That is an excellent idea! I also agree with the pushy vegan/pushy carnivore statement!
Thanks! I needed it to stand out as a vegan brownies recipe so I think that did the trick!
I don’t really like peanut butter, is the taste prominent in this recipe?
Hi Alyssa. I have made this recipe and asked people after they tried if they could taste the peanut butter and so far no one has answered yes. I think the flavor of the coconut oil and the chocolate overrides the peanut butter. It was my goal to use the peanut butter as a healthier source of fat, without adding a peanut butter flavor. Hope this helps!
These brownies are delicious! They are rich and fudge and if I didn’t know they were vegan, I never would have guessed it. I’m not vegan or even vegetarian but still found these very satisfying. Yum!
Thanks, Karen! So glad you liked these brownies! ❤️
thanks for sharing it i found it so amazing love to try this
These are ok. Remind me of the taste of box brownies for some reason, which isn’t bad but not great either. I think next time I’ll try using peanut butter instead of the oil.
Wow this looks so yum.. thanks for sharing the recipe
Great vegan recipe,thanks for sharing